Ernst Kruijff is a contemporary Dutch artist with a rich and diverse creative journey spanning over 30 years. His artistic exploration began in the mid-eighties when he delved into painting under the guidance of renowned Dutch artist Jan de Kok. Embracing the medium of tempera, Ernst crafted vibrant paintings that reflected his early artistic endeavors.
Simultaneously, he ventured into the realm of digital illustration, employing his talent to design infographics for educational software. Throughout the first half of the nineties, Ernst pursued studies in art history while lending his expertise to the creation of corporate identities, spanning a wide array of mediums from paper materials to art objects and clothing. Additionally, his photography skills were enlisted for various commercial projects, further expanding his creative repertoire.
During this period, Ernst's work was featured in numerous exhibitions across the Netherlands, garnering recognition for his artistic vision and skill. Inspired by Constructivist and Bauhaus artists, Ernst spent several formative years at the Bauhaus in Weimar, immersing himself in the rich tapestry of art and architecture.
In his current artistic practice, Ernst draws inspiration from Nordic and Japanese design aesthetics, blending and contrasting different design elements and art materials. His art pieces seamlessly merge sumi-e ink, acrylic paint, acrylic paint markers, and fine liners, creating a synthesis of painting and drawing styles. This fusion of fluidity and vibrancy with clarity and technical precision characterizes Ernst's distinctive artistic voice. Today, Ernst's artwork graces private collections and corporate buildings across Europe, the USA, and Canada.
Ernst is a mixed media artist, using a wide variety of media for well over 20 years. He received his master of arts from Utrecht University, where he studied art history. Strengthening his creative side, in his early years he was taught by the well-known Dutch artist Jan de Kok, with whom he cooperated on various projects. Over the years he has been active as a freelance graphic designer and photographer for both private and commercial clients. Furthermore, he worked and taught three years at the famous Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany. His artwork can be found in private collections throughout Europe. For more information, feel free to visit http://www.experimental-studio.com.
Ernst's artwork ranges from colorful abstract paintings, glazing tempera in multi-layer works, up to mixed media art pieces, combining acrylics and art markers. In his works of art, he always tries to create interesting, dynamic compositions, using vibrant colors and multiple layers of geometric and non-geometric forms to create depth and versatile structures. Often, new sub-levels of the composition and there out forthcoming levels of interpretation appear to the viewer over time, making the paintings even more attractive. Sources of inspiration included Bauhaus artists and the futurism/suprematism art movements.
